


Maria Aleyne

by VarjoRuusu



Category: Black Sails
Genre: Fix-It, Fluff, M/M, Semi AU, of sorts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-07
Updated: 2017-06-07
Packaged: 2018-11-10 10:52:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11125593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VarjoRuusu/pseuds/VarjoRuusu
Summary: What if the situation aboard theMaria Aleynewasn't all that it seemed?





	Maria Aleyne

**Author's Note:**

> I did a thing. I erased canon. Enjoy.

_Maria Aleyne_ _1708 – Somewhere in the Mid Atlantic_

“Captain! You're needed,” Gates called and Flint twitched, not taking his eyes off the dark horizon. His hands were clenched in fists, trying to hide how hard he was shaking. Slowly, he turned to Gates and nodded sharply, following the other man below into the hold, one thought running over and over in his mind.

_It's done._

“We found him when we searched the ship. The men didn't know what to do with him, so we thought you'd best be consulted,” Gates said, nodding to a prisoner chained to the wall, once white clothes turned gray by dirt, overlong hair and beard filthy and matted and obscuring his face.

“I've done what I came to do,” Flint growled. “I don't care what else happens to this ship or anyone on it.

“Wait!” the prisoner suddenly shouted and Flint froze, his mind reeling as he recognized the voice, somewhere far in the back of his head as the man scrambled forward, tugging at his chains.

“Leave,” Flint told Gates, the older man not needing to be told twice as he pulled the door shut behind him. Flint was shaking, harder than before as he stepped closer.

The man was on his knees, chains stretched nearly to their limit, arms nearly pulled behind him, eyes wide in the mane of hair that fell around his face, open mouth just visible under the thick beard as he breathed heavily, like he'd been running.

Flint walked forward, sinking to his knees, mirroring the man on the ground as he slowly reached a shaking hand forward, fingertips catching a tear that slid down the other man's cheek.

“Thomas?” he whispered and Thomas sobbed, smiling through his tears, nodding. Flint gasped, suddenly surging forward and engulfing Thomas in his arms, burying his face against Thomas' shoulder. The chains rattled as Thomas closed his arms around Flint, holding him just as tightly as they both shook.

“James,” he whispered with a sigh, fingers burying in James' hair.

“They told me you were dead,” James managed, pulling back far enough to get his hands on Thomas' face and press their foreheads together.

“Without you, I was,” Thomas whispered, eyes closed as he clutched James' wrists, sighing deeply at the contact.

“Let me get you out of these,” James said, making to reach for the chains but Thomas' grip stopped him.

“Just...please, I feel like if I let you go you'll disappear,” Thomas said brokenly, his fingers tightening.

“I'm not going anywhere,” James promised, his voice rough. “Look at me,” he whispered and Thomas opened his eyes, blue meeting green.

“I love you,” James said, brushing his thumbs over Thomas' cheeks, wiping away the tear stains. “I'm sorry I never said before, but I will never go a day without saying it again.”

Thomas smiled, fresh tears welling as he felt a laugh bubbling in his chest, shaking him inside and out with joy.

“I've loved you since the moment I set eyes on you,” he whispered back. “That uniform...”

James scoffed, chuckling as he pulled back finally and began fiddling with the chains, the relief that Thomas was alive, the relief that Thomas still had at least a speck of his humor left washing over him in waves. A strong rap from the hilt of his dagger was enough to break the locks free, poorly made things that they were, and soon enough he was pulling Thomas to his feet, supporting him as his weakened legs shook and wrapping an arm around his waist.

“James,” Thomas said, finally seeing the blood that coated James' shirt and arms. James glanced down, then his jaw set in defiance, unwilling to apologize for the death of Alfred Hamilton, especially now.

“Ask me if you want,” he said as he helped Thomas toward the door. “I won't lie.”

“He's dead?” Thomas asked, finding himself relieved, rather than sad at the idea that his father was gone from his life forever. James nodded and Thomas sighed, tightening his grip.

James kicked the door open, half dragging Thomas up on the deck, ignoring Gates' raised eyebrows as he settled Thomas in the longboat to return to the other ship. No one said a word as they rowed back to the _Walrus_ , though two of the men reached down to help Thomas onto the deck and steadied him until James was once more beside him. The door to the captains cabin shut behind them and Thomas sagged against James, having used the last of his strength to try and seem a bit less weary than he was, in front of the crew.

“You need to eat something,” James said as he helped Thomas to the narrow bed hanging in one corner.

“I want to sleep,” Thomas muttered and James smiled dryly, grabbing a nearby cup and a pitcher of water, filling the cup and holding it out to Thomas who gripped it with shaking hands as he tried to drink. James' hand on his steadied the cup enough that he was able to empty it and a second.

“This is beginning to push my philosophy of remaining unashamed to it's limits,” he said ruefully and James chuckled, pulling himself up to sit next to Thomas.

“It's only me,” he whispered, pulling Thomas' hair back and pressing a kiss to his temple. “Sleep, we'll get you cleaned up and fed in the morning,” he said softly and Thomas nodded, snuggling against James, who lowered them both to the bed, pulling away only long enough to discard his boots and weapons, before lying beside Thomas and gathering him in his arms.

“Miranda?” Thomas asked sleepily, burying his nose against James' collarbone.

“She's on New Providence,” James smiled. “She has a small house in the interior. We sail for Nassau as we speak.”

“Hmm,” Thomas hummed, already nearly asleep. James cradled him close, allowing the tears to truly fall as the days events and the months that preceded it finally caught up to him and he fell into a dreamless sleep.

When dawn came James extracted himself from Thomas and changed his clothes, wetting a cloth and wiping away the blood from his skin, occasionally checking in a small mirror that he'd gotten everything. He'd need to wash his hair better soon, but for now be only dabbed at it before going on deck and checking on his crew. They were on a steady course for Nassau and Gates nodded to him when he appeared.

When James returned to the cabin with food he found Thomas awake, chopping at his hair with James' dagger and James chuckled, plucking the blade from his fingers and replacing it with the plate, cutting Thomas' hair as he ate.

“I rather like the beard,” James chuckled, though he trimmed it too at Thomas' glare. He found new clothes for the other man and tried to not watch as Thomas washed and changed, unwilling to see how thin he had become, knowing it would send him into another rage.

“I'm alright,” Thomas whispered, circling his arms around James' waist when he was finished, correctly understanding why James had averted his eyes. “I'll be alright now,” he promised and James sighed, turning and embracing Thomas tightly.

“Were you hurt at all?” James asked quietly, scared of the answer.

“No more than starvation and loneliness can hurt a man,” Thomas assured him, arms tightening before one hand drifted up into James' hair. James shuddered, tilting his head back against Thomas' fingers, eyes closed, unsurprised when he felt Thomas' lips against his and he smiled, returning the gentle kiss as his heart soared.

“I love you,” Thomas whispered against his lips and James sighed.

“I love you too,” he grinned, hugging Thomas tightly, vowing never to let go again.

 -:-:-

Sailing to Nassau from their position in the Atlantic took three weeks, give or take a day, and Thomas continued to improve every day, his strength returning and his clothes filling out as he gained back the weight he had lost. When James saw him standing at the rail on the upper deck, gazing out to sea, it was almost as if none of the last three years had taken place. It could almost be any other day in London if not for the simpler clothes and world weary lines that had appeared on Thomas' face.

“So this is what I was trying to return to the hands of England,” Thomas sighed as James approached, hands clasped behind him as he gazed out at Nassau. “And you came here and undid all my hard work,” he chuckled, turning to James, who grinned like a shark.

“Most feared pirate in the Bahamas,” he said with pride, quirking an eyebrow at Thomas who laughed.

“Well. I suppose it's time for a change anyway. I was getting rather tired of London society,” he said blithely.

James rolled his eyes, realizing that through everything, Thomas had not changed. He was quieter than he had been on the long days they sailed, but underneath he was still the same man James had fallen in love with three years before.

A new world lay open before them, a new life, and James was done waiting for what he wanted, he was done with propriety, he was done with rules, he was done with everything. All he wanted was Thomas and Miranda by his side and he would live his life as the richest man on earth.

Reaching out, he gripped Thomas' hand tightly, smiling when Thomas returned the grip. James closed his eyes, breaking in the salty air and realizing that for the first time in his life, he was home.

**Author's Note:**

> I’m on Tumblr [Beneath The Black Sails](http://www.beneaththeblacksails.tumblr.com)


End file.
